Pablo Piatti

Pablo Piatti
Personal information
Full namePablo Daniel Piatti
Date of birth31 March 1989
Place of birthUcacha, Argentina
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Playing positionWinger
Club information
Current team
Valencia
Number11
Youth career
2002–2003Jorge Newbery
2003–2006Estudiantes
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006–2008Estudiantes49(12)
2008–2011Almería101(20)
2011–Valencia85(15)
National team‡
2007Argentina U206(0)
2011–Argentina1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 April 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 June 2011

Pablo Daniel Piatti (born 31 March 1989) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Valencia CF. He operates mainly as a left winger, but can also play as a forward.

Club career

Estudiantes

Born in Ucacha, Córdoba, Piatti was a product of Estudiantes de La Plata's youth ranks. He made the headlines when coach Diego Simeone gave him his first opportunity against Newell's Old Boys on 18 November 2006, as the player was just 17. He scored the winning goal (2–1) deep into injury time, and became one of the heroes of Estudiantes' championship-winning team.

Piatti made the side's starting eleven in the 2007 Clausura tournament, alongside José Luis Calderón, José Ernesto Sosa and Juan Sebastián Verón.

Almería

After making 60 appearances in all competitions for Estudiantes in two years, he was sold to UD Almería in Spain for an undisclosed fee.[1] Initially an undisputed starter, notably netting in a 1–1 home tie against Real Madrid,[2] he struggled after the arrival, midway through his first season, of Mexican coach Hugo Sánchez.

In the 2009–10 campaign, without the presence of striker Álvaro Negredo, Piatti was much more depended upon in goalscoring matters and netted seven times in 35 matches, joint-second in the team, as it finished in 13th position. On 23 September 2009 he opened and closed the scoresheet in a 2–2 draw at Atlético Madrid[3] and, in the second La Liga match between the two teams, netted a last-minute winner (1–0).[4]

Valencia

On 5 July 2011 Almería and Valencia CF reached an agreement for the transfer of Piatti, with the player signing a five-year contract for a fee of €7.5 million.[5] He struggled to reproduce his previous form during most of his first season with the Che, but did feature in 47 matches all competitions comprised.

Piatti scored his first official goal for Valencia on 19 January 2012, netting the 3–1 in the 45th minute of an eventual 4–1 home win against Levante UD for the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.[6] He added another two in the second leg (3–0).[7]

After Jordi Alba and Jérémy Mathieu developed an efficient left-wing partnership, Piatti was deemed surplus to requirements by managers Mauricio Pellegrino, Ernesto Valverde and Miroslav Đukić, also struggling with some injury problems. After being transferlisted against his will by the latter in the summer of 2013, he was subsequently linked to clubs like Everton, Celtic, Southampton and Stade Rennais FC,[8] but refused to leave Spain.

After the sacking of Đukić due to poor results, however, new boss Juan Antonio Pizzi showed faith in his compatriot Piatti, who repaid the former's confidence by finishing 2013–14 with five league goals from only 17 appearances, one of those coming in a 3–2 win at FC Barcelona.[9][10]

Following the purchase of the club by businessman Peter Lim,[11] Piatti continued being a key player under Nuno Espírito Santo, being dubbed Pablito by the manager.[12][13]

International career

Shortly after making his senior debuts for Estudiantes, Piatti was part of the Argentina squad that won the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. The youngest player in the roster, he managed to play in six of seven games.[14]

On 5 June 2011 Piatti made his debut for the full side, as national team boss Sergio Batista handed him a start in a 1–2 friendly loss with Poland.[15]

Honours

Club

Estudiantes

Country

Club statistics

As of 18 April 2015[16]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Estudiantes 2006–07 1750000175
2007–08 32800100428
Total 4913001005913
Almería 2008–09 31521—336
2009–10 35710—367
2010–11 35862—3910
Total 10120930011023
Valencia 2011–12 30273101476
2012–13 1413020191
2013–14 1753092297
2014–15 23720—257
Total 851515321312121
Career Total 2344724631329057

References

  1. ↑ Almeria win Piatti race; Goal.com, 18 June 2008
  2. ↑ Bobby McMahon's blog; FOX Sports, 6 November 2008
  3. ↑ Piatti leaves it late for Almeria; ESPN Soccernet, 23 September 2009
  4. ↑ Almeria burst Atletico bubble; ESPN Soccernet, 21 February 2010
  5. ↑ Valencia reach agreement for Piatti; VCF Central, 5 July 2011
  6. ↑ El Valencia ahoga al Levante (Valencia drowns Levante); Marca, 19 January 2012 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Para Piatti no fue un trámite (Not just another game for Piatti); Marca, 26 January 2012 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Pochettino targets Valencia's tiny winger Piatti on season-long loan; Daily Mail, 25 August 2013
  9. ↑ Barcelona 2–3 Valencia; BBC Sport, 1 February 2014
  10. ↑ Pablo Piatti: ´Nunca dejé de confiar en mis condiciones´(Pablo Piatti: ´I never stopped believing in myself´); Super Deporte, 11 February 2014 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ Football: Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim gets rousing welcome in Valencia; The Straits Times, 28 October 2014
  12. ↑ The resurgence of Valencia CF; Foot and Ball, 21 January 2015
  13. ↑ Pablo Piatti back from the shadows after enjoying Valencia renaissance; Sport 360, 13 February 2015
  14. ↑ Pablo Piatti – FIFA competition record
  15. ↑ "Second-string Argentina humbled again". ESPN Soccernet. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "P. Piatti". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links